Category: Blog

Providing for a family and all the costs involved in running a household and having a home can become a big strain. From utilities to property tax to food and leisure, everything costs money. There are many different ways in which your family can reduce costs if you work together. You just need a good plan and everyone on board.

Get a Plan

You need to sit done as a family and come up with a plan. Make a list of areas where you think costs can be cut down. Hear from each family member where they think you can save. Examples may include using power more efficiently, eating our less, getting rid of cable, doing certain things around the house yourselves instead of hiring someone, etc.

Assign Responsibilities

You need to work together as a team and you need an action plan to implement your ideas. Every person should be doing what they can to stick to the plan, but it is a good idea to have someone in charge of every aspect. For example, if you decide that you need to be more energy efficient, you can have one of your children do research on homemade gadgets that will help save energy or generate alternative energy. Another family member can be in charge of checking that no unnecessary appliances or light are on and that all electrical equipment is unplugged when not used. You get the idea.

Evaluate Progress

Once you start implementing your plans, you need to monitor if they are effective. The head of the house or the person who handles the family finances should keep track on whether the utility bill has reduced and whether there is more money available at the end of the month. When you can tell your family that their efforts are working, they will be more inclined to stick to it. The money you save can go towards paying off debt or into a family savings jar for a holiday or fun day out.

Get your family involved in reducing costs. It is a good way for your children to learn about working together and managing finances. It is also a great way to bond and take care of each other.…

Budgeting is an important skill and habit. We should teach our children about budgets as soon as they can understand. They should be working with their money from the first day that they receive an allowance or compensation for chores. The sooner they learn to respect money and work with it in smart ways, the better. If you have a money-savvy child, you won’t have to worry about their financial independence when they get older.

How to teach budgeting:

Use building blocks or toys to explain earning and spending. You can also make it real by giving them their allowance and taking them to the store to buy something. When they see their money go away in exchange for something they want, they will learn that money spent is money gone until you earn more.

If your children are in school and can read and write, teach them to draw up a budget. You can now let them have their two columns of income and expenses. It doesn’t have to be super complicated. They just need to understand that money doesn’t grow on trees and that when you spend it, it is gone. They also need to realise that they should never spend more than what they have.

Let your children pay for their own toys at the store. It helps with understanding money matters when your child has to choose their own toy and make sure that it is something they want to spend money on. When they need to pay for it themselves with the money they have, it makes spending more of a reality.

You can also bring in lessons about saving. Explain that some of the money they earn must go into a savings jar or piggy bank. Help them understand that what they save they can use later for something that they really want.

Every child will learn in different ways. As a parent, you need to find the right tools and ways to explain about money and how to use it in smart ways.…

Is your family in need of a holiday? Or maybe you need a new pool or television? No matter what it is that you need, saving for it can be tough. A great way to approach big purchases or holidays that the whole family benefit from is to save together. If you save as a family and everyone contributes, you will get there faster and it can be fun. Family Finance Fun would like to share a few great ideas for family saving.
1. Make it a game – When you make saving a game, it is a lot more fun. You can decide what type of game and prizes will work best for your family. Not all families enjoy the same things. For example, you can have a competition where the person that adds the most to the savings in a month gets a week off from chores or gets a trophy. It all depends on what your family sees as a prize.

2. Have a yard sale – Each family member can clean out their belongings and see what they don’t use anymore and can sell. It can be a competition or game again. The one that gets the most money for their items can win a prize again or keep some of the proceeds for themselves. A yard sale is a great family activity and will also help to declutter your home.
3. Have a scavenger hunt – Coins and change tend to find itself all over the house. Have a scavenger hunt where your family tries to find the most money in the house. All the money found should go into the savings jar. The person who finds the most money can get an ice cream or won’t have to clean the kitchen or living area.
You can play around with these ideas and find the things that work best for your family. Games make saving more fun and easier. So, get your family together, brainstorm a few ideas, and start saving.…